Image by F. Tronchin via Flickr

Professional football players are rewarded substantial amounts of money for playing the entertaining yet violent game of football. For many high school and college players, the risk is worth the reward, the reward being the potential millions a player can earn in the NFL.

The real risk of playing football can manifest itself not at the professional level,but at the high school level where young teenage players are subjected to violent hits that can hamper their physical and mental development. According to the Center for Disease Control, almost 2 million adolescent players suffer from brain injuries every year. Another scary statistic by the CDC points out that as much as 80% of concussion related injuries are undiagnosed, meaning that it is likely there is a silent epidemic among current and former players.

A concussion, according to Jonah Lehrer of Wired,”is not a bruise. It is not a sprain. There is no bodily metaphor for what happens when the Jell-O of cortex accelerates into the skull. Although the brain is surrounded by a cushion of cerebrospinal fluid, a severe impact or abrupt change in head speed can push those three pounds of meat straight through the fluid, so that it crashes into the cranium.”

Just imagine how it would feel if you got hit by a vehicle moving at a speed of 20 mph. That’s the level of impact a player can receive when hit by an opposing player(s). High School football is at the epicenter of the concussion epidemic because these brain injuries can interfere with the mental development of teenage players. Depression, headaches, memory loss, and blurred vision, are just some of the effects of head trauma that can impeded a players mental and physical growth.

• Football and the Fear of Concussions (parenting.blogs.nytimes.com)
• The Concussion Epidemic (mitigatorinc.com)
• Concussions in the NFL (uw20sciencemediaandculture.wordpress.com)

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During football season fans from around the country gather at sport bars and barbecues to watch their favorite NFL or college team.  It’s safe to say the popularity of professional and college football has grown in recent years. Its popularity is mainly attributed to its violent and exciting nature.

Besides touchdowns, fans love seeing the big hits. The thrill of watching a linebacker brutally tackle an opposing player is one of the main reasons why fans watch the game.  That being said, the violent nature of NFL football is taking a big toll on current and former players.

Today players are bigger, faster, and stronger then ever before. In the NFL today there are over 500 players listed who weigh at least 300 pounds. Getting hit by players that size and weight will certainly increase the chance of injury, especially concussions. A study in 2001 reported that over 61% of former NFL players had concussions during their career. An example is former Dallas Cowboy star Troy Aikman who was forced to retire due to 10 concussions he received throughout his career.

Side effects from concussions and other head injuries include chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). A form of dementia that leads to memory loss and disrupts mental functioning.  The long term consequences of concussions is leading the NFL to look at how to deal with this growing epidemic. A great place to start is with the equipment that NFL players use.

The technology used by the NFL is having a hard time keeping up with the players. The players are hitting harder while the equipment designed to protect them is failing to keep up. Using cushioning systems like the MitiGator which absorbs violent impacts while protecting the subject from external events such as a hit by another player would certainly reduce the chance of a concussion or other head related injures.

The MitiGator would be ideal for NFL helmets since it’s lightweight and can contour to the shape of the helmet while providing maximum protection and comfort. The MitiGator can be applied to other equipment if need be.  Using the right technology is the first step to address this growing health issue that is affecting so many players.  However no matter how much protection a player has, the risk of injury can never be eliminated due to the violent nature  of NFL football.

Related articles

• NFL Players May Be More Vulnerable to Alzheimer’s (healthland.time.com)
• Retired NFL Players at Higher Risk for Mild Cognitive Impairment (scienceblog.com)
• NFL Lockout: Talks Expected to Resume (kimberleyvassalinsurance.wordpress.com)
• Retired NFL players at higher risk for mild cognitive impairment: Condition can be precursor to Alzheimer’s disease (sciencedaily.com)

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The Super Bowl is just days away, make sure while your watching every hit and collision you think of MitiGator!

Let the debating begin! Who’s going to win the Super Bowl this Sunday? Personally I’m leaning towards Green Bay, but I expect it to be a great game. But I wanted to drop you a reminder that with every huge hit and huge tackle make sure you think of MitiGator. MitiGator is designed to absorb and dissipate energy from impacts and vibrations away from the user. This makes it a perfect application for football gear. Especially helmets! The NFL has been under a lot of scrutiny for the effects concussions have on players and their future outside of their NFL careers.

If you have a family member who plays high school football, college, or even Mighty Mites. I urge you to take a look at outfitting your helmet with the MitiGator cushioning system. If you would like to know more information about outfitting a helmet with the MitiGator cushioning system send me a email (John@MitiGatorinc.com). Also don’t forget we will be filming the Paintball test this week and the video will be up this week! Trust me, it will be worth watching!

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If you play football make sure you protect your head by equipping your helmet with the MitiGator Cushioning System!

Actually while I’m sitting here writing this I am watching the National Championship Game, and it’s a pretty great game so far. This has to be my favorite time of the year. You have all of the College bowl games, and the NFL playoffs. This years playoffs have already featured some amazing plays, an incredible run, and some very hard hits. Infact it’s amazing to me that more players don’t end up with concussions or head injuries. The NFL has been under a lot of scrutiny  the past couple of years because of the amount of concussions that has been sustained and the impact that it has on the players futures.

The MitiGator Cushioning System would be a great solution for football helmets. The MitiGator is designed to absorb and dissipate energy from impacts and vibrations. It has been tested and had amazing results even up to a 300G impact. You can learn more about the MitiGator by clicking here. If you are interested in learning more about equipping a helmet with the MitiGator cushioning system then make sure you send me a email (John@MitiGatorinc.com) and I’ll answer any questions you have about the MitiGator cushioning system.

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